STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

39. LINGERING ATTACHMENTS

When the memorial at the plaza was hosted, South didn't go. Instead, he stayed in the mansion to work with the horses.

"That boy isn't with you today, I see."

Taylor brought up small conversation as they came a little away from the other nobles.

Cale sighed. "His mother was adamant he didn't work today."

Taylor was confused for a moment, but spoke when he thought he understood, "ah, his mother also works for the Henituse?"

Cale decided not to correct him. "Yes. She's one of our oldest workers. Very protective."

Taylor chuckled, "that's very understandable. That boy was very fortunate to not have been too hurt, despite being so close to that blast."

Very fortunate? Perhaps.

The explosion would've killed South if Choi Han, the Dragon, and Rosalyn hadn't been nearby. In a way, he was very fortunate to have been there, against everyone's wishes.

It was almost as if he knew something was going to happen.

Which is odd, but Cale already decided not to question him more than necessary. And Cale didn't really care why he was there anywhere— it all turned out fine, so it's not Cale's problem anymore.

-

They're trying to leave, but there's unexpected trouble.

"Do you really have to go, South?" the servants are crowding around him, still handing him things as he's literally ready to go. "Here, take this if you get hungry."

"Are you sure you don't need anymore clothes? Are you sure we can just burn the ones that weren't mended right?"

"You can have my needlekit, it's really okay!"

Cale looked out the window, a little miffed, "why is the Stable Boy more popular than the young master?"

"Eeek!! Young Master, when did you get into the carriage?!" South yelped, and now he panicked, "I'll be there right away. Sorry, seonbaenims, I have to go!"

"You can always come back, dear!"

"Remember to run this way if anything ever happens to your employment contract okay? It's okay, if you ride a horse, we guarantee you'll escape unscathed from anything!"

Cale had a feeling he should be offended. They've warmed up to the problematic young master over the week, but in regards to the workers they have no faith in him at all.

South settled in beside the Coachman, and they set off.

-

Cale found himself thinking, in hindsight, that maybe he should've asked a little bit more about South's secrets. Like, at least the necessary ones.

Like, his wounds may all disappear, but every single scar aches like phantom pains when it's humid out. So much that even South, with his pain tolerance, has to curl up and take minute breaths. Where he couldn't even brush the horses, just massaging sore limbs and invisible wounds and having no way to explain it to anyone at all.

Humidity, you know, which is horrid out by the seaside, in the Ubarr Territory, where they were literally headed straight for.

Cale sighed longsufferingly.

If Cale knew, he would've fired South back at the Capital and left him there with the mansion servants that loved him so much. Or send him with Choi Han and Lock to help Rosalyn, you know, the obvious things.

"Uh, you know how signals get a little shaky when it rains? It's like that," South had the cheek to even joke at a time like this. "Don't worry, it'll pass."

He hadn't been able to sit up for all this latter half of the carriage ride, completely stuck to the seat opposite Cale's inside the carriage like a deathly sick patient.

If deathly sick patients ever had a dragon as a hug blanket and a cat tucked on either side of his head like a pair of perfect neck pillows, that is. Seriously, what is that? That looks cosy as hell. If South wasn't enduring the ninth circle of chronic pain at the moment then Cale would have been kind of jealous.

-

"I'm going to die of an overdose," South said, when he got up as they arrived. "What the hell was in that potion you gave me, Young Master?"

"Don't think about it," Cale said. "It's worth your year's paycheck."

"Whuh?"

"I said don't think about it."

Cale was honestly just as baffled as South was. Hans had it on hand in the medical kit because Count Deruth was insane like that.

(Okay, to be fair, everyone thinks Cale was recuperating from a severe injury, so technically buying an insane pain relief medication might have been an obvious thing for a rich man to do for his son— but seriously, Cale was terrified of the price on that thing. How the hell was it more expensive than a High Potion for the Dragon?)

Cale didn't regret using it for South, though. He had no intention of actually getting hurt anytime soon, and medicine should be used by people who need it.

"If you're active then go r—"

Cale trailed off.

South was already sauntering off to the horses, greeting them with hugs. Even the horses all lit right up at the sight of him, sniffing curiously and inspecting him for damage before Coachman Leon came and repeated the process.

There's no sign of the laboured breathing anymore. The colour wasn't fully back on his face again, and his clothes were still damp with the cold sweat. Every breath had a slight wheeze in it from effort, but he was actually capable of talking through it now.

He handled pain like someone used to it.

Did it happen often enough? Even in Rain City? Perhaps it's just worse than usual since they're by the sea, but he must suffer something in the rainy seasons of their territory. It's just not something avoidable, and chronic pain like this just couldn't be treated.

Cale sighed.

"Hans, potions make his narcolepsy medication ineffective, so go make sure he doesn't get trampled," he gestured at the group unloading the carriage.

"Ah— yes, Young Master," Hans also seemed visibly more relieved now that South was fine. Seriously, everyone and even the knights were hovering over that stablehand like he was their baby on board. "But I'll do that after I settle the accomodations here."

Right. Hans was, despite everything, actually a capable worker. No wonder he's the Deputy Butler.

He found the kittens trailing after him and sighed.

"Let's get this errand over with quickly and go home," Cale says. "The sea is beautiful I'm sure, but that medicine isn't going to work forever."